Founded in the 9th century the Kingdom of Gu-ge was the political and cultural focus for all western Tibet. Sited on a minor trade route linking Tibet with Kashmir and India the twin towns of Tholing and Tsaparang it thrived until the 17th century when invading Muslim forces overcame the defenses and massacred the population. From the 1680s until the early 20th Century the region was largely deserted, with its great history and cultural treasures forgotten and undisturbed. Gu-ge remains historically important as the repository of an otherwise vanished artistic style and the source from which an invigorated Buddhist faith spread its light over Tibet. It was the charisma and enthusiasm of a few enlightened individuals which allowed this to happen.
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